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The Bloccati

Bloccato 500-B 537 + 504 + 538 at Niguarda Dazio on October 7th 2001.

In late '50s ATM planned to build a series of interurban trains formed by a cab-less motor car with two trailers at the ends, in order to introduce them on the interurban light rail Linee Celeri dell'Adda Milano – Gorgonzola at that time in project as a first stage of an interurban metro line. In 1960-61 a first prototype train was created coupling the Locomotore Costamasnaga 105 (from series 101-105, Costamasnaga 1930) with the two trailers 344 and 346 (from series 335-346, Stanga 1945). The motor car was renumbered 401, the two trailers 431 and 432. This train was called Treno Bloccato (in English: blocked train) or simply Bloccato.

Soon ATM started to build more units. A first series of 12 trains, called Bloccati 500, was formed coupling the new 12 OEFT motor cars 501-512 (Tallero 1954) with 24 trailers:

• 6 trailers series 347-358 (Officine Elettroferroviarie Tallero, 1950), creating 3 Bloccati 500 type A
• 18 trailers series 359-376 (Officine Elettroferroviarie Tallero, 1951), creating 9 Bloccati 500 type B

The motor cars weren't renumbered, while the trailers were renumbered in series 531-554. The Bloccati 500-A and -B were easily distinguishable by the numbers of the side windows of the trailers: trailers type A had six windows between the two doors, trailers type B ten, this because trailers 359-376 had more seats (and windows) than series 347-358. The first Bloccato 500 was pressed in service in 1961, the latter in 1964.

A second series of Bloccati was made up with the 10 Littorine OMS series 130-139 (Stanga 1941) and 20 trailers:

• 4 trailers series 321-334 (Officine Elettroferroviarie Tallero, 1940), creating 2 Bloccati 800 type C
• 10 trailers series 335-346 (Officine Meccaniche Stanga, 1945), creating 5 Bloccati 800 type B
• 6 trailers series 347-358 (Officine Meccaniche Stanga, 1950), creating 3 Bloccati 800 type A

Motor cars were renumbered in series 801-810, while trailers in series 831-850. The rebuilding of these cars took place between 1962 and 1965. Both Bloccati 500 and 800 were equipped with two trolley poles on the trailers to run under the 600 V overhead and a pantographs on the motor car to run under the 1200 V, but Bloccati 804, 805, 807, 809 and 810 that had only the pantograph.

At first these trains were painted in light and dark green, but soon all the units were repainted in yellow and white, the identificative color of the Linee Celeri dell'Adda. Before the opening of this light rail, the trains were used on the Adda interurbans from Milano to Vimercate, Vaprio and Cassano.

In 1968 Bloccati 500 and 800 were modified to run on the Linee Celeri dell'Adda opened on May 5th 1968: the gauge was changed from 1445 mm to 1435 mm, trailers were modified with only a door per side, another pantograph was added on each motor car. As the trains couldn't ever more run on the 1435 mm urban tracks with the 600 V overhead, trolley poles were removed or blocked. The Bloccati remained in service on the 1445 mm line Milano – Vimercate, as well on the links Gorgonzola – Cassano and Gorgonzola – Vaprio with direct services from Milano via the Linee Celeri: there weren't problems of gauge because the lack of section with Phoenix rails. They were hosted in Deposito Gorgonzola.

The tramway service on the Linee Celeri ceased early on December 3th 1972 when it was taken over by metro M2 trains. On the same day the Cassano line was closed, so these trains remained in service on the Milano – Vimercate and on the Gorgonzola – Vaprio. The units operating the Vimercate were shifted to the ononymous depot.

In 1978 the Vaprio line was closed and on June 7th 1981 the Vimercate, too. The Bloccati were set aside in the M2 depots Cologno and Gorgonzola. In the meantime six 800 trains (803, 805, 807-810) were scrapped. Starting in 1978, the Bloccati were moved from the Adda lines to the Brianza lines Milano – Desio – Carate and Milano – Limbiate: for this purpose, the gauge came back to 1445 mm and the pantoghraphs were replaced by trolley poles. In early '80s they were again modified with new cabs and some other improvement. A new orange livery with a black strip in the middle and at the top of the body was consequently introduced. There were also some change of trailers because the train 539 + 505 + 540 became a type A. Finally in 1986 the trolley poles were again changed with pantographs.

Today the trains are hosted in the two depots of Varedo and Desio as follows:

• Deposito Desio: 504 (type B), 506 (A), 509 (B), 511 (B), 801 (A), 802 (B), 804 (B), 806 (C)
• Deposito Varedo: 501 (A), 502 (B), 503 (B), 505 (A), 507 (B), 508 (A, set aside), 510 (B), 512 (B)

Bloccato 500-B

Bloccato 500-A and 800

	Bloccato 500-A 539 + 505 + 540 in Affori, just arrived from Limbiate Ospedale. This train in origin was a type B, so at a moment ATM changed their trailers with another train. Photo © Alessio Pedretti.
	Bloccato 509 (type B) without...
	... a trailer that was into the tram house for a minor repair job. Deposito Desio, October 7th 2001.
	Three images of Bloccato 833 + 802 + 834. The full train...
	... the trailer 833 (ex trailer 335) ...
	... and the cab-less motor car 802 (ex Littorina OMS 131). Niguarda Dazio, October 8th 2000.

© 2003 Ivan Furlanis
Last changes: December 2003